Feeding-machine.



No. 842,001. PATENTBD JANlzQ, 1907. R. E. WOQDSON, W. B. KNIGHT 0 J. NILSON.

PBBDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 24, 1905.

IINITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

ROBERT E. wooDsoN AND WILLIAM B. KNIGHT, or sT. LoUIs, MISSOURI,l

.AND JOHN NIALSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA; SAID NILSONy AND KNIGHT ASSIGNORS TO SAID VVOODSON.

FEEDING-MACHINE.

To tI/Z whom, Il?? Ina/y concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT E. WOOD- soN and -WILLIAM B.-KNIG1IT,-citizens of the United States, vvresidingin the city of St.

Louis, intheStateof Missouri, and JOHN NILsON, a citizen of the United States, residing in San Francisco, Ain the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding-Machines, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accenn-v anying pication.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in feeding-machines, and| has drawings, forming part of this specifor its object to produce a device of this char-.

acte'r which though simply constructed is positive in its action and susceptible of being o erated at a high speedwithoutv becommg ciioked or otherwise impaired.

Figure I is a vertical section taken through the hopper-and one of the delivery tubes orl front thereof to roduce guides for reciproca-` tory feed and elivery tubes 4 4, arranged within said members 2 2. i g

5 5 and' 5 indicate lugs formed Integral .with or secured to the delivery-tubes 4 4 and are designed to project through and operateA in the slots 3 3, the two innermost lugs 5 and 5 being connected bv the cross- 'iece 6, which in .turn is provided with a bi rcateji ear 7, designed to receive one end. of a bellcrank lever 8, pi'voted to a lug 9, su ported by the uide members 2 2. `IIvotally mounted etween the lugs 5 5 and. 545, re-

Y Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led AngustlZ, 1905. Serial Noi` 275.542.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

spectively, are spring-actuated dogs 10, 10', 10a, and 10b, which operate through slots Il, formed .in the wall of the telescopicl delivery-tubes 4 4, and are thereby permitted to enter 'the interior of'said tubes in order that they mayv operate upon.- the articles to be fed. The dogs 10 and'lO are arranged in vertical alinement with each other, as'are also the dogs 10a and 10b, and the u permost dogs 10 and 10a are each provide with an arm 1'2, so arranged that When'the delivery.

tubes vare in their uppermost position they will co erate with lugs or `rojections 13 13, carried y the guide mem ers '2 2, in such manner as to cause said dogs to be moved outwardly from the'inte'rior of said tubes 4 machine. For the urpose of distinction the dogs 10 and 10a w1 lbe hereinafter termed feeding-dogs, and the do s 10 and 1()b :ivill Jbe hereinafter terme restrainingo. s. v

Ihre delivery-tubes 4 4 terminate in semicylindrical portions 4" 4', and in juxtaposiltlon to said semicylindrical portions are arranged yielding or spring-actuated jaws14 14, carrying inwardly-disposed prongs 15 15.

The functions of these parts will be hereinafter described. v From an inspection of Figs; I and II of the drawings it will be observed that the up er ends of the telescopic feed and delivery tu es 4 4 extend some distance up into the ho per 1 when in their uppermost positions an are provided with spiral or helical upper ends 16, the object of which is to provide against clo of the material' to o e fed therethroug rmed in the bottom wall of the hopper 1 and preferably located betweelbthe deliverytubes 4 lare one ormore openi s or slots 17, (see Fig.' II,) and through whic is or are designed to pass an agitator or agitator's '18, which is 0r [are pivotally connectedto on'e member/of lthe bell-crank lever 8. The dogs 10, 10i, 10a, and 1'0b are Aeach provided at the inner face with a 'V-kshaped groove, thereby `4, whereby they are removed from the path of movement of the material; to be fed in the hand side, Fig. II-it being obvious that as this is practicallya double-feeding machine the duplicate parts operate simiiarly'.

Assuming the parts to be in the positions shown in the drawings, the articles to be fed being placed in the hopper 1 will fall through a deiiverytube 4. The first article which enters the tube will descend past the dog 10 and will be arrested by the dog 10', this being due to the dog 10 having been moved out of the path of travel of the artice bythe arm 12 having contacted with the projection 13 when the tube was elevated. The bell-crank lever 8 bein now moved in the direction indicated by t 1e arrow a (see Fig. I) will cause the cross-piece 6, deivery-tube, and the feeding and restraining dogs 10 and 10 carried thereby to descend, and on its initial movement the arm 1 2 is carried away from the projection 13, and the spring which bears against the dog 10 causes the latter to move inwardly a sufficient distance to engage the first article fed into the deivery-tube and force it downwardly past the rong 15 to cause it to become imping'ed fietween the lower semicylindrical portions 4 (f the delivery-tube and the spring-controlled jaw 14. The bell-crank lever 8 is now rocked in the opposite direction, which will cause the part 6, delivery-tube 4, and the dogs 1.0 and 10 carried thereby to be moved upwardly. Upon such upward movement of the parts mentioned the Icrank-arm 12 strikes against the projection 13 on the guide member l and the feeding-dog is retracted from the deliverytubechannel to permit the next article above it to descend to a position beneath said dog. In the next movement of the bell-crank 8 in the direction of the arrow a the action of the feeding-dogV 10 will be identical with that first described, while the restraining-dog 10 will engage the article to be fed, which hasl been held and impinged by the semicyiindrical portion 4, and forces the same entireiy therefrom. Y

It will be observed that every movement of the bell-crank lever 8 causes the 'agitator j 1S to act upon and move more or less the articles to be fed which are contained in the i hopper and cause them to enter the upper `end .of the delivery-tube without clogging 1 It is desirable to have the bell-crankl lever 8 move a sufficient number of degrees Q to cause the'extreme upper end of the tube 4 l action.

to descend sufficiently so that its upper end will be removed from the hopper proper and into the de ending cylindrical portion 2 in order that tlie articesto be fed will have free accessto the interior of said tube 4. When the Vtube 4 is raised to its uppermost position, its upper end is located some distance above the bottom of the hopper. This is advantageous in that in its upward movement into the hopper it acts as 4an agitator for the artices in said hopper.

This machine is designed to feed articles of slightl -varying sizes or dimensions, and while We ave illustrated in the drawings the machine operating with the maximum sized articles We have provided means for taking care of smaller sized articles that are of nonbeing fed they are caused to be delivered end foremost in approximately axial alineinent with the delivery-tubes 4 4 and prevented from canting or occupying a partially or wholly crosswise position as they emerge from the tubes. Thisv means consists of a third set of spring-controlled pawls 10" 10, which we term alining pawls and which oppose the jaws 14 14, which We have found by actual practice effectually prevent canting. These alining pawls project through the semicylindrical portions 4 of the delivery-tubes 4, and each dog is adapted to press against and provide a bearing for the articles being fed through the tubes as they move into positions between the tube portions 4 and the jaws 14. As each article passes into the position just referred to it becomes momentarily clamped in alinement with the tube-channel, due to pressure thereagainst at three points by the alining dog, the jaw 14, and the prong 15, carried by said jaw, and when the article is discharged itmoves end foremost. The combination of parts is of course only of value in feeding non-circular articles-such, for instance, as those shown in the drawings.

I claim- .1. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily fitted to said hopper, means carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereinto to feed the articles passing through the tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feeding-machine, the coinbinatifm of a hopper,` a delivery-tube rcciprocainrily fitted to said hcpperand having an irregularly-shaped inletendprojecting upnardly into said hopper, nu ans carried by said. tube and adapted to enter thereinto to feed the articles passing through the tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, ysubstantially as set forth.

3. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper,` a delivery-tube reciprocally i fitted to said hopper and having a helically- IOC IIO

IZO

. shaped upperl end arranged to enter said said dog and means for reciprocatingsaid y IS cles `passing through the tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, substantially as set forth.

. 4. In a feeding-machine, thecombination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprccatorily fitted to said hopper, yielding. means for restraining the movement of articles fed into said tube from said hopper, a feeding-dog carried by said tube and adapted to enter the channel `of said tube,means for retracting tube, substantially as set forth.

5. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily tted to said ho per, a yieldingmember carried by said tu e for restraining the movement of articles delivered to the tube from said hopper, a spring-controlled feeding-dog carried by said tube and adapted to enter the channel therein, and arranged to deliver the articles being fed past said restraining `member, means for retracting said dog and means for reciprocating said tube, substantially as set forth.

6. In a feeding-machine, the comb'inatibn of a hopper, a delivery-tube` reciprocally tted to said hopper, a yielding restraining-dog carried by said'tube, a feedingdog carried by said tube and arranged abovesaid restraining-dog, means for retracting said feedingdog and means for reciprocating said tube, substantially as set forth.

.7. Ina feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatcrily fitted to said hopper, yielding restraining means carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereinto to be engaged by the articles passing through the tube, a feeding-dog carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereinto to engage the articles passing through the tube, means for reciprocating said tube, and means forv retracting said feeding-dog, substantially as set forth.

8. In a feedin -machine, the combination of a hoppen, av elivcry-tube reciprocatorily fitted to said hopper, yielding restraining means carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereinto to be engaged by the articles passing through the tube, a feeding-dog carried ,by said tube and adapted to enter thereinto to engage the articles passing through the tube, means for reciprocating said tube, and means for retracting said feedby said tube and adapted to enter thereinto, a yieldingly-supported gripper-jaw opposing the llower end of said tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, substantially as set forth.

10. ln a feeding-machine, the combination of'a hopper, a delivery-tube. reciprocatorily fitted to said hoppenmeans for reciprocating said tube, feeding means carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereint-o, and a grip-1';

ping member opposing the discharge end of said tube;'said gripping member being provided with means for preventing retrograde movement of the articles fed into position between it and the discharge end of the tube., i

substantially as set forth.

11. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily fitted to said hopper, means for reciprocating said tube, feeding means carried by said tube and adapted to entertlzereinto, and a gripping member opposing the discharge end of said tube; said gripping member being provided with a prong to prevent retrograde movement of the articles fed into a position between it and the discharge end of said tube, substantially as set forth.

.12. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily.

fitted to said hopper, 'means for rec/i1 -rocating said tube, feeding means carried by said tube and adapted to enter thereijnt-o, and-a springcontrolled gripping n iember-` supported in.- dependently of said tube and opposing the discharge 'end of said tube, substantially as set forth.

13. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily fitted. to said hopper, means for reciprocating said tube,feeding means carried by said tube and adapted vto enter tliereinto, gripping means located at the discharge end of said tube for engagement with the articles passing through the tube before they are disclarged therefrom,4 and means carried by said tube for alining the articles While, engaged by said gripping means, substantially as set forth..

ITO

14. In a feeding-machine, the combination ling through the'tube before tlteyare'dising-dog; said last-named means consisting of cl'iarged therefrom, and an alining dog ca ran arm attached to said feeding-dog and arl ried by saidv tube and located in said tube 1n ranged for engagement'with a fixed portion a position opposing that-occupied by said of the machine, substantially as set forth.

9. In a feeding-machine, the combination of a hopper, a delivery-tube reciprocatorily fitted tov said hopper, feeding means carried gripping means, substantially as set forth.

15. Inafeeding-machine, the combination of a hopper a delivery-tube reciprocatorily tted to said hopper, means for reciprocating izo said tube, feeding means carried by said tube, and an agitator arranged to enter said hopper and having Connection with said tube-reciprocating means, substantially as set forth.

16. In afeeding-1nacl:ine,tl.e combination of a hopper having a vguide member depending therefrom, a delivery-tube reciprocaterily positioned in said guide member, feeding means carried by said tube and--adaptedv to named membery and an agitator connected to said lever and adapted to enter into said hopper, substantially as set forth.

, l ROBT. E. WOODSON.

WM. B. KNIGHT. JOHv NILSON.

Witnesses tO tlre signatures Of'RObe'rt- E. Woodson and William B. Knight: ELLIEl V. ALEXANDER, WMQH. SCOTT. Witnesses to tlze signature of Jolin Nilsen:

OSCAR HOFFMAN, SIMON HOFFMAN. 

